From Kim's journal:
We are in another country, but somehow it feels much more dramatic than that, almost like another planet. It doesn’t make me feel ashamed to be an American, but ashamed of the way we live. I have never seen such poverty in my life. You often see these images on TV, but how easy it becomes to separate yourself from it and not let it affect you. But when you’re in it, really in it, like we were today, it is impossible to separate yourself from it. I will never forget this experience; I will never get over it. My heart aches for the way these people live. I have so much to say, but am having such a hard time processing it all and getting it all out. It’s almost like I fear I won’t do justice by trying to explain it. It is so real, so raw, and so unexplainable. It is a hard life here in Guatemala, there is no denying that. They wear it on their faces…they are the faces of poverty.
As we went from house to house for food/clothing distribution today, the stories were all very different, all so tragic. The only similarity is that somehow in the midst of all this heartache, they have found God, they all praise Him, and they all say over and over how truly blessed they are! Wow! They praise Him in the midst of circumstances that we can’t possibly fathom!
The first home was in a very rural area. We had to use 4-wheel drive and had to stop so they could move an ox out of the way (and yes, I did just say there was an ox in the road!!) When we pulled up, the children came running out. It was the home of Maria and her children. Her husband was recently killed when he was struck by a truck. The children were so beautiful!! They were all smiling and just beaming with God’s love. They were so dirty from head to toe, without shoes, they had dirt caked under their nails, their clothes were filthy, and they had snot and dirt on their faces. Yet, through all of this, you couldn’t help but notice how beautiful they were and that they were smiling from ear to ear in the midst of all this poverty! Maria showed us their home…it was surrounded by garbage, clothing hanging on lines, you could smell the raw sewage, there were chickens running all around.
We dropped a large bag full of rice, black beans, sugar, coffee, noodles, vitamin drink, cooking oil, etc. for her and her children (this typically lasts about a week). We gave them clothing and shoes. The smallest boy, who was about 2, was so excited about his shoes that he kept looking down at them and wiggling his toes…he couldn’t walk a straight line because he stared down at those shoes the entire time, so excited to have on shoes!!! I pat the 7 year old on the head and gave him a smile. He quickly made a noise like he was in pain and leaned over to show me a large wound on his scalp. It was about an inch and a half long, a huge, black scab. I asked him what happened and he went on to explain that the 2 year old had been playing with a machete and hit him over the head with it. I still sit here in disbelief every time I tell this story or read it over again…I can’t come to grips with it…it haunts me…he was playing with a machete. No toys anywhere to be seen, nothing except the clothes on their backs and the dirt at their feet. But this is where God comes in….all their hope lies in him! All their strength lies in Him! They completely depend on Him! In the midst of this poverty, they have absolutely nothing, but they have Him! And it is enough…his grace is sufficient! How powerfully that speaks to me!
